Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Doesn’t Have Timeline for Walker Buehler Return
The Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their starting rotation in a big way this offseason. It was one of their biggest concerns before free agency, and that quickly changed in the span of a few weeks.
The Dodgers' arms are no joke, and they'll be a force to be reckoned with. Their new additions are set to be spectacular; however, arguably, their best pitcher may not be ready to pitch when the season arrives.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke to L.A. Times columnist and Dodger beat writer Jack Harris. Roberts told Harris Dodgers ace and two-time All-Star Walker Buehler would "unlikely" pitch in spring training and failed to give a timeframe for a return in the regular season.
Buehler last pitched in June 2022 after suffering an elbow injury. That elbow injury resulted in Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss the rest of the 2022 season and the entire 2023 season.
The Dodgers have been without their ace pitcher for a year and a half, and who knows for how much longer. If Buehler could come back in tip-top shape, he could quickly establish himself as the best pitcher in the rotation.
The 29-year-old is as lethal as they come when healthy. He has pitched in 115 games and has recorded a 46-16 win-loss record with a 3.02 ERA, 690 strikeouts and a 1.04 WHIP in 638.1 innings. Buehler has some of the best stuff in the league and has the potential to return to be the top pitcher in the big leagues.
With Roberts declining to offer a timetable, this could tell us that he would unlikely return early in the regular season. We hate not seeing Buehler on the mound, but we should see him sometime this season.
